madison wisconsin food tour

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Madison Food Tour - Secret Food Tours

Wisconsin's capital city might not be the first thing that comes to mind for foodies, but Madison has a thriving culinary scene that can't be beat. Surrounded by prime farmlands and known for its two lakes, food tours in Madison open up a world that many didn't know existed.

Secret Food Tours will take you to some of the college city's best restaurants to sample great Midwestern cuisine. You'll also get to visit top-quality food producers including local dairy and vegetable farmers, top area breweries and even some lesser-known wineries. Get a special behind-the-scenes look at the foods that Madison is known for, and get ready to taste some of the city's best secrets.

Book a food tour of Madison today and expect the unexpected.

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Private food tours with a healthy helping of history! 

The Original Madison Food Tour

Are you hungry for good food and knowledge? Join us on a walking culinary tour of Madison’s savory neighborhoods. Discover locally-owned restaurants and learn about Madison’s history, architecture, and regional food traditions. 

READ ABOUT MADISON FOOD EXPLORERS IN ISTHMUS

How to Schedule a Tour

1. GATHER YOUR GROUP

Find 4-12 people who would like to do at least two of these three things: eat food, drink cocktails, learn about history.

2. CHOOSE YOUR TOUR

Peruse our menu of tour descriptions below, and decide what works for your group, or if you want to customize.

3. FILL OUT THE FORM

We'll ask you a few basic questions and get back to you with options for your private tour!

A Sample of our Food Tours: 

Happy hour tours.

These delectably didactic tours last about 90 minutes and can include up to three food and drink stops. We have several curated tours that share highlights of Madison's scenic and cultural views.

Lake to Lake

Madison's first and best guided food tour allows exploration of our unique city with ease. We'll walk from Lake Mendota to Lake Monona, stopping at local restaurants and specialty shops. Native Madisonians and visitors alike can relish this one-of-a-kind way to experience the heart of the city!

Dear Bus Tour Operators

Erica, the owner of Madison Food Explorers, is full of knowledge about the history and culture of Madison and is the best guide for your bus tour! She's a docent for the Madison Trust for Historic Preservation, a  board member of the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, and a former employee of the Wisconsin Historical Society and the Chicago Architecture Center.

Are you interested in gifting a tour to your friends, family, or colleagues?  Have you been tasked with finding a corporate team-building activity? Are you a non-profit seeking donations? 

The Perfect Gift!

Madison Commons – Dane county Community News

Going beyond the plate with Madison food tours

Diving into the Great Dane Pub & Brewing Company’s Brat and Pretzel Burger felt like sinking teeth into a Wisconsin culinary history lesson.

A juicy beef patty is topped with a savory bratwurst burger, smoked bacon and stout-caramelized onions. The pretzel bun was oozing with a luxurious layer of Wisconsin’s famed sharp cheddar, exuding a perfume of fragrant comfort.

The burger tasted like a culinary representation of the state. Even the restaurant’s brick laden home was ensconced in a rich backstory: the Great Dane is nestled in the old Fess Hotel, a building on the National Register of Historic Places and a designated Madison landmark.

But without any guidance at an average Sunday night dinner, the lesson ended with the final bite.

For Brittany Hammer, the founder and owner of  Capital City Food Tours , the quintessentially Wisconsin burger was just a jumping off point for a larger story. The Great Dane was the first of five stops for participants on her three hour Around the Square walking tour.

“Almost no one knows the story behind Eliot and Rob the owners, and what brought them to Madison and how they named it the Great Dane. And so telling people that, how much they give back into the community, that’s what really creates that connection,” said Hammer.

Capital City Food Tours is one of three Madison food tour companies that has brought the stories behind local establishments like the Great Dane to the forefront of the eating experience. Food tours have combined these activities into a singular experience that elevates local restaurants in the hearts of consumers. Food tours have acted as preservationist of Madison’s food scene, creating a human connection that has enticed participants to return to these distinctly Madison spots.

“My personal mission is to be an ambassador for these locally owned food establishments and the artisans and farmers in our communities,” said Otehlia Cassidy, the founder and owner of  Madison Eats Food Tours . “And we do this by telling their stories or having them tell their own stories.”

Food tours first came to Madison in 2010 with the establishment of  Madison Food Explorers . Madison Eats Food Tours followed in 2012 and Capital City Food Tours most recently joined the industry in 2016. Across companies, tours range in price from $30 to $65. In addition to the regularly scheduled tours, companies offer private, custom tours with pricing tailored to the excursion.

While tours typically have been on foot, custom tours opened the door to other options such as bus tours and bicycle tours. Madison Eats’ bicycle tour has featured a four hour, brunch themed expedition during the warmer weather months.

“It is non-competitive, and for anyone who enjoys a casual bike ride,” Cassidy said. “It typically attracts guests who may want to see more than one neighborhood, or explore Madison from a different perspective, and people who enjoy biking and brunch.”

Tour participants are led by guides to multiple food locations with culinary offerings at each stop. Guides also provide typical sightseeing information on the historical, cultural and architectural components of the city. Excursions are themed by neighborhood or geographic location, such as Madison Eats’ downtown Taste of Wisconsin lunch tour.

“It gives them a little sample, a little taste of what it’s like to come here and a little hint of what the downtown restaurant life is like in general...it’s not just about the food but also the experience,” said DLUX’s Assistant General Manager, Ben Kosmatka. DLUX is a partner of both Capital City Food Tours and Madison Eats.

By spotlighting local establishments, the tour guides have created a connection between consumers and the individual players in the system. Tour participants have been exposed to the intertwined relationships between farmers, vendors, chefs, restaurant owners and their importance to the Madison food system.

“I think that really being able to connect what you’re eating and why it’s important to a certain history or culture just makes it that much more profound,” Hammer said. “So that’s why for food tours, really connecting those dots is what makes you want to go back and eat.”

In addition to providing context about the Madison food system, tours have illustrated the uniqueness of each location and the stories behind each food experience. Creating that human touchpoint behind different dishes and restaurants tours has created an incentive to return to local businesses. Sometimes, all it takes is a bite to whet a participant's palate for more.

“One time I worked with Pickle Jar, the food cart, and it was a Facebook post they said ‘we’re so pleased because somebody came to our cart who had been on [Madison Eats’] food cart tour and they loved the pies so much they wanted to come back for the barbecue,’” Cassidy said.

The City of Madison has recognized the role independent food tour companies could play in the city’s future tourism endeavors. According to the City of Madison’s Madison Public Market Business Plan draft, they hope to “work with organizations and business like Madison Eats Food Tours to host Public Tours.”

“There’s no reason that we should be developing business and systems from scratch if there are existing business and systems that are doing well that we can collaborate with,” said Amanda White, a consultant for the Madison Public Market Foundation.

As a part of the tourism industry, food tours have provided visitors with a culinary and cultural snapshot of the city. However, residents may be surprised to find that these flavor-filled excursions are also appealing to Madison’s local population.

“I’ve had people on the tour who have lived in Madison for 40 plus years and my goal is always to teach someone something new about the city in addition to having them taste something that maybe they haven’t tried before,” said Hammer.

At the Great Dane, Hammer has helped participants on her tour discover more than a new favorite burger. Tour attendees have left with full stomachs and a fuller perspective on the restaurant’s history of giving back to organizations in the community.

“When someone thinks like ‘oh, we could go to the Great Dane,’ they have all of these emotional aspects to that restaurant now that is going to make them want to go back. And so for me, sharing those stories is really important,” Hammer said.

For more information on food tours in Madison, visit  here .

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Madison Tours and Tastings

Don't just see the city, experience it. Tours in Madison, WI will guide you through hidden gems and local favorites, showcasing Madison's rich flavors and unforgettable vibes. Get ready to eat, ride, walk, float or even get a little bit spooked as you discover more of the capital city than ever before.

FOOD AND DRINK TOURS

*Madison Eats Food Tours : Explore Madison neighborhoods where you can taste local, seasonal foods and meet the chefs, farmers and artisans who make it all happen.

*Madison Food Explorers : Ready to eat your way through Madison from lake to lake? Madison Food Explorers offers private food tours based around your group's favorite Madison icons.

*Babcock Dairy Store Observation Deck Tour : Get a behind-the-scenes look at the Babcock Dairy Store production facility known for its iconic ice cream made on the UW campus.

*State Line Distillery Private Distillery Tours and Tasting : Take an in-depth tour with owner John Mleziva and learn the process of distilling while sampling State Line spirits along the way.

Looking for a behind-the-scenes tour of Madison's craft beverage scene? Check out our breweries and distilleries pages for tour information by location.

WALKING AND RIDING TOURS

*Madison Adventure Tours : See more of the most bikeable city in the country from two wheels, guided by local experts. Madison Adventure Tours is the capital city's official guided eBike tour, showcasing the city's neighborhoods, landmarks and lakeshores.

*Trolley Pub Madison : Pedal with a group of your fave people on a trolley pub, a rolling good time that's part tour, part bar crawl. Get your blood pumping and see some of Madison's most iconic bars and sites.

City Scour: Learn Madison history and make memories with City Scour, an app-based walking tour and curated scavenger hunt. 

Arts, Culture and History

Wisconsin State Capitol Tour : Dive into Wisconsin history inside one of the state's most beloved architectural marvels. Free, guided tours are available daily, except for some holidays. 

*Monona Terrace Tour : Take a guided tour of  Monona Terrace  to learn about Frank Lloyd Wright's influence on the capital city and his vision to "marry" the city with the natural beauty of Lake Monona. 

*Taliesin : Take a guided tour of the home and studio of Frank Lloyd Wright, one of the nation's most respected architects and Madisonian. Tours of this UNESCO World Heritage site are available from April through November.

* First Unitarian Society : Public tours of the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed meeting house are available most Sundays April through October.

*University of Wisconsin-Madison tours : Discover 175 years of Badger pride on a UW campus tour. Find a tour that's right for you with options including future student tours, an independent app-led walking tour, general visitor tours and First Nations Cultural Landscape tours that bring awareness to the campus' indigenous history and culture.

Olbrich Botanical Gardens : There's more than one way to take in all the natural beauty of the gardens. Create your own adventure by touring solo, take a guided group tour or stop in on Sundays from June through August for guided garden strolls. 

*Historic Architecture Walking Tours : Join the Madison Trust for Historic Preservation for walking tours of some of Madison's architectural marvels like the Kennedy Dairy Building, Machinery Row, Mansion Hill and more. 

ON THE WATER

*Madison Boats : Hop on a pontoon from the dock at the historic Edgewater Hotel for a guide boat tour around Lake Mendota. Check out Madison Boats' event calendar for more guided expeditions, full moon paddles, ice cream boat floats and more.

*Betty Lou Cruises : Set sail on Lakes Mendota and Monona to see classic shoreline sights and enjoy themed buffet menus ranging from pints and pies to champagne brunch.

OFF THE BEATEN PATH

*Cave of the Mounds : Get underground with a guided tour of a natural wonder millions of years in the making. This National Natural Landmark is a marvel of stalactites and stalagmites that capture the region's natural history.

*Madison Ghost Walks : Learn the haunted history of Madison with Madison Ghost Walks . Featuring ghost stories and paranormal experiences that will spook your socks off.

*Note that tickets or reservations must be made in advance for all tours; private and charter events are also offered.

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22 e. mifflin street, suite 200

madison, wi 53703

(608) 255-2537 • (800) 373-6376

[email protected]

22 e. mifflin street, suite 200, madison, wi 53703

(608) 255-2537 • (800) 373-6376 • [email protected]

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THE 10 BEST Madison Food & Drink Tours

Food & drink tours in madison.

• Beer Tastings & Tours
• Cooking Classes
• Distillery Tours
• Wineries & Vineyards
• Distilleries
• Farmers Markets
• Coffee & Tea Tours
• Wine Tours & Tastings
• 5.0 of 5 bubbles
• 4.0 of 5 bubbles & up
• Budget-friendly
• Good for Couples
• Good for Big Groups
• Good for a Rainy Day
• Hidden Gems
• Honeymoon spot
• Good for Kids
• Good for Adrenaline Seekers
• Adventurous
• Things to do ranked using Tripadvisor data including reviews, ratings, photos, and popularity.

1. Dane County Farmers' Market

2. Delta Beer Lab

3. Cambridge Winery

4. Funk Factory Geuzeria

5. Giant Jones Brewing Company

6. brennans market.

7. Young Blood Beer Company

8. Herbiery

9. Odilon Ford Winery

10. imaginary factory, 11. black rose blending co., 12. flix brewhouse madison, 13. vintage brewing co. capitol east, 14. working draft beer company, 15. starkweather brewing company, 16. karben4 brewing, 17. alt brew, 18. parched eagle taproom.

19. Madison Eats Food Tours

20. Flambe Gourmet

21. Trolley Pub Madison

22. Traveling Spoon, Inc

23. Hop Head Tours

24. Madison Food Explorers

25. Capital City Food Tours

26. Garver Feed Mill

27. State Line Distillery

28. Travel Curious

29. Eat Smart Culinary Travel

30. Drinkable Destinations

What travelers are saying.

Your ultimate guide to tours of Madison

Explore the 608 through its history, food, drink, art, and more on these tours..

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Madison Eats Food Tours is but one of many escapades one can have in the 608. | Photo via Madison Eats Food Tours

Whether you’re a lifelong Madisonian longing to embrace your inner tourist or you have a limited amount of time in Mad City, here are 18 tours guaranteed to show you the sights you want to see.

Note: Price estimates are based on individual adult rates available at the time of publishing. Check each company’s website to see current pricing.

People can zip around Madison on an eBike while learning about the 608. | Photo via Madison Adventure Tours

Betty Lou Cruises | Prices vary Take to Lake Mendota, cruising on a yacht, with food and drink on board, all the while learning the city’s history and more.

Madison Adventure Tours | $95 The two-hour e-bike tour takes you around Madison’s most iconic landmarks, including three lakes, the Wisconsin State Capitol, and the UW-Madison campus.

UW-Madison Campus Tour(s) | Free UW–Madison is the flagship public university in the state of Wisconsin. The first public university established in the state, it is also Wisconsin’s largest.

Babcock Dairy offers free tours and has ice cream to be sampled. | Photo via Babcock Dairy Plant

Eat and drink

Babcock Dairy | Free Discover dairy delights with an observation deck tour that showcases expert dairy production being done at UW-Madison. Ice cream is available for a small fee.

Madison Eats Food Tours | $69-$129 Madison Eats offers four walking tours and one biking tour, highlighting local chefs, producers, and food artisans. Vegan and vegetarian options are available.

Madison Food Explorers | $55+ Their flagship “Lake to Lake” tour explores the isthmus, visiting a handful of unique food shops.

The Wisconsin State Capitol is over 200 feet tall, making it one of the largest capitol buildings in the nation. | Photo by 608today

All in on history

Madison Trust for Historic Preservation | Prices TBD 2024 architectural walking tours include visits to various neighborhoods including Green Bush, Mansion Hill, Orton Park, Westmorland, and more.

Wisconsin Executive Residence | Free Stroll through the public rooms of the governor’s house to experience the history, view the beautiful furniture, and enjoy the inspiring art in this 100+ year-old home.

Wisconsin State Capitol | Free Built between 1906 and 1917 for $7.25 million, the Capitol building reaches a height of over 200 feet. A tour guide will teach you about its architecture and history.

Natural History

Cave of the Mounds National Natural Landmark | $13-$460/person In Blue Mounds, take a stroll through a geologic wonder, wandering through an array of crystal formations on paved lighted walkways.

Henry Vilas Zoo | Prices vary The zoo’s behind-the-scenes tours give attendees a chance to see areas of the zoo normally only seen by the animals and keepers. Guests will also meet an animal or two.

Wisconsin National Primate Research Center | Free Tours are available for the Marmoset Learning Lobby and the Stem Cell Learning Lab. The center has one of the largest colonies of marmosets in the US.

Private tours are available at Madison’s contemporary art gallery. | Photo by 608today

Art is all around

Chasen Museum of Art | Free Take a guided tour of one of Madison’s most beloved arts institutions that houses art by Andy Warhol, Dale Chihuly, and others.

Fall Art Tour | Free Each fall, artisans and craftspeople open their studios from Mineral Point to Baraboo.

Madison Museum of Contemporary Art | Free Private guided tours of MMoCA’s exhibitions are available to groups of six or more adults with four weeks’ advance notice

Miscellaneous

American Ghost Walks | $25-up With three different tours available, learn about ghosts, legends, scoundrels, and spirits.

Frank Lloyd Wright | Free-$5 There are tours of the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Monona Terrace , as well as tours of the Unitarian Meeting House .

Wisconsin Energy Institute | Free The UW-Madison facility is a national leader in clean energy research.

A Food and Drink Tour of Madison, Wisconsin

Posted: March 25, 2024 | Last updated: March 25, 2024

Hit up Harvey House, behind a historic train depot, for an array of culinary delights.

Photo by Nicole Franzen

I’m what you would call a food-motivated person. When I wake up in the morning, one of the first things I think about is that day’s food possibilities. (Will I make kimchi noodles or curry? Will we dine at the new Laotian place or get our favorite burritos?) When I’m traveling, this goes from about a 10 to, oh, 10,000. (My partner pretty much goes along with this, so long as I “walk” her between meals.)

Which was why I was so delighted by a recent trip to Madison, Wisconsin. I was there last June for a conference but was able to extend my trip and explore. And I was bowled over by what I found: new spins on the Wisconsin tavern, creative chefs, and a seemingly endless supply of fantastic produce. It’s a college town, yes, but it’s also one of the most inspiring cities I’ve eaten my way through recently. And it should come as no surprise, given that it’s surrounded by an impressive farming culture headlined by young farmers, has a strong Hmong (Indigenous Southeast Asian) community that has contributed greatly to Madison’s Laotian food scene, and is drawing such acclaim that some of the latest season of Top Chef: Wisconsin is set there .

Here’s where to eat—and where to “walk” it off in between.

Where to eat in Wisconsin

Supper clubs, Laotian restaurants, and cheese shops—oh my! This isn’t an exhaustive list, but there are many local highlights. And a note about drinking: You should! Madison has a fantastic beer and burgeoning distillery scene—it’s too much to get into here, but for a taste of the city’s best beer, try the Spotted Cow at New Glarus Brewing Company or one of the high ABV brews at Giant Jones Brewing Company , and for spirits, I recommend a little day trip to the J. Henry & Sons bourbon tasting room in Dane, about 30 minutes north of Madison. (And for the stories behind these places, check out the Pour Another Round podcast.)

For a taste of Lao, look no further than Ahan , a busy spot on Williamson Street. Executive chef and co-owner Jamie Brown-Soukaseume grew up in the food industry—her family owns another popular Madison spot, Ha Long Bay —and her mother, who was born in Laos, passed down her recipes. They now form the base for some of Jamie’s most to-die-for dishes, including rich, brothy khao soi and sweet and savory papaya salad. Don’t miss the Lao egg rolls.

Fromagination

It’s almost too overwhelming to step into this cheese shop, but when we’re traveling we must persevere. Fromagination is where you come to taste Wisconsin in cheese form, whether you want to try an aged cheddar with a streak of blue (Dunbarton blue from Roelli Cheese Haus) or a creamy goat cheese (Linedeline from Blakesville Creamery). The friendly cheesemongers can guide your purchases—grab a bunch of cheeses, along with the crackers and other treats they sell, and make a picnic, or walk around the corner and order a bottle of wine at Square Wine Company for a true feast. Want something more substantial? They also make sandwiches , mac and cheese, and salads—plus “cakes of cheese” that look like legit wedding cakes.

This market-driven restaurant—meaning that Wisconsin-grown ingredients are the stars of the show—is an absolute must. At Fairchild , the vibes are mellow but luxurious, the cocktails are fabulous, and the ever-changing dishes that chefs Itaru Nagano and Andrew Kroeger send out—such as pan-fried sweetbreads with pickled sunchokes and a Door County cherry and shiso puree—are reason enough to relocate to Madison. And if accolades are your thing, the chefs took home the award for best chef(s) Midwest at the 2023 James Beard Awards.

Harvey House

The supper club is a classic Wisconsin experience, offering ambience, cocktails (including the brandy-based Wisconsin Old-Fashioned), and a relish tray with cheese dip and pickled and fresh veggies. The Harvey House took that concept and ratcheted it up a few notches, adding a dash of train travel glamour. It’s located behind Madison’s historic train depot, and chef Joe Papach and his wife, Shaina, embraced the rail history, even fully restoring a train car that’s available to book. It’s one of those happy, sparkly places you want to linger all evening. I started with a relish tray outfitted with deviled eggs and a smoked salmon dip and an ice-cold martini, one of the best I’ve had in recent memory. Then I worked my way up to the Harvey’s wedge salad and the superior walleye, the restaurant’s take on a classic Wisconsin fish fry.

For something a little more low-key, turn to Joe and Shaina Papach’s newest endeavor: Butterbird , an ode to fried chicken. Yes, you will wait in line, but it moves quickly and it’s worth it to chow down on mac and cheese bites, fried dill pickles, and fried or rotisserie chicken prepared to juicy perfection. It’s also a great place to bring the kiddos: There are games, a claw machine, and a photo booth to keep them entertained.

Lao Laan-Xang Restaurant

This institution was Madison’s first Laotian restaurant when it opened back in 1990, and it’s still a local favorite. Christine Inthachith and her mother, Bounyong, opened Lao Laan-Xang to share the flavors of their home city, Luang Prabang, which you’ll find in dishes like the squash curry (four different kinds of squash, Thai eggplant, and basil) and moak pa , catfish steamed in banana leaves.

Mint Mark has been heralded since it opened in 2018, and for good reason: Chef Sean Pharr—a multi-year James Beard semifinalist—crafts small, creative plates using only what’s in season. People wax poetic about his divine buttermilk biscuits and the roasted cauliflower, which is tossed with bagna càuda and white wine–plumped raisins; both items have been on the menu since day one. Everything else ebbs and flows with the season—right now you might order duck frites, an endive salad, and a proper meat pie, filled with tender braised beef.

Muskellounge and Sporting Club

If you want to drink like chef Sean Pharr, pop into his Muskellounge and Sporting Club , also known as the Musky. He says it’s like a Wisconsin 1970s parents’ basement/fishing club. And it looks the part, with lots of wood paneling and fish painted on forest green walls. This is where you come to play shuffleboard or darts while sipping a whiskey neat or one of the many local beers on tap. Next door is Hank’s , a to-go burger and fish fry joint that Pharr opened in 2023 so that Musky drinkers could grab a shrimp po’boy and cheese curds to soak up the good times.

Pig in a Fur Coat

Yes, Pig in a Fur Coat is another champion of Wisconsin’s impressively varied and delicious seasonal cuisine. But here chef Dan Bonanno brings his Italian roots to bear, though I wouldn’t classify it as a fully “Italian” restaurant—you’ll find dishes like Parisian gnocchi with short ribs and mushrooms, but also jerk rabbit with spinach and parsnips. And you have to come back during the day for a sandwich (meatball? pastrami? mortadella??) at Alimentari by Pig in a Fur Coat , Bonanno’s Italian deli right around the corner, which was inspired by the one his dad worked at for years.

This 48-year-old restaurant has been called the Midwest’s Chez Panisse : L’Etoile is the city’s original farm-to-table spot, and many a local chef has worked here before moving on to their own spot in town. Founded by Odessa Piper, it’s now owned and run by chef Tory Miller, one of the city’s most celebrated chefs. The real move is to opt for the ever-changing tasting menu—right now, you’ll find chèvre agnolotti with spring nettles and New York–style strip steak with celery root and black trumpet mushrooms. But you can also choose à la carte, or go for the more casual vibes at Graze , a restaurant that combines Miller’s Wisconsin and Korean heritages.

Short Stack Eatery

You’ve gotta find a good breakfast spot on the road, and Short Stack , a busy one near the capitol, is where I would happily ensconce myself time and time again. Given the name, pancakes are absolutely a star here—go for sweet potato oatmeal or the classic blueberry stack. But there are plenty of savory options, including pulled pork with cheesy grits or corned beef hash. Risk-takers: Order the Blind, an always-changing dish that comes with a discount if you don’t ask what it is. (The only question you can ask is if it’s sweet or savory.) I love that they have strong gluten-free and vegan options, too, like a vegan hash and gluten-free buttermilk pancakes.

A travel-oriented bookstore where I can also drink late at night? Hello, my new home. I was so enchanted by Leopold’s that I visited twice, once (by bike) for a midday coffee and book perusal (all the shelves are organized by country) and once in the evening to sip a Black Walnut Manhattan and eavesdrop on conversations flowing around me.

Where to work up an appetite in Madison

Madison is an outdoor lover’s dream, offering plenty of ways to enjoy the sunshine and the lakes—and rebuild your appetite.

Dane County Farmers’ Market

Wisconsin has an incredible farming community, meaning that perfect produce is only a stone’s throw away. And the 52-year-old Dane County Farmers’ Market is where Madison’s food action happens on Saturday mornings. The largest producer-only farmers’ market in the United States (meaning that only vendors who grow their own produce are allowed), it surrounds the Wisconsin State Capitol building from mid-April through early November. It’s the best possible place to stroll on a Saturday morning—though the crowds can be intense after 9 a.m.—and get a taste of Wisconsin’s bounty, from Door County cherries to cheese curds.

Madison Adventure Tours

Madison is a platinum-certified cycling city with more than 60 miles of bike paths within the city proper and more than 200 miles in the city surrounds, and an ideal way to see all of it in one (or two, or three) gulps is on two wheels. The city has an excellent bike-sharing program, BCycle , but I recommend starting with an e-bike tour with Madison Adventure Tours , ideally on the first or second day of your trip. On its two-hour city tour, you’ll get the lay of the land, while also learning cool facts about the capital city (like, it’s built on an isthmus between two lakes—one of only two major U.S. cities with this distinction). And because they use e-bikes, people of all ages can join and pedal happily.

Sometimes, you just need a break from everything. After a busy week, I had a chance to cocoon myself in Kosa Spa , an Ayurvedic wellness center in the Garver Feed Mill (also a great place to eat and drink). Ayurveda is a highly seasonal system of traditional Indian medicine, and owner Shilpa Sankaran has infused her spa with those tenets—you could easily spend a day here getting a consult, resting in the sauna and steam room, or getting an Abhyanga massage using customized oils. Plus, there’s good food here: hot golden milk (an oat-based turmeric drink), decaf chai, and khichdi , a rice and dal dish based on a recipe from Sankaran’s family.

Olbrich Botanical Gardens

Not far from the Garver Feed Mill: the 16-acre Olbrich Botanical Gardens , a perfect (and free) place to lose yourself in between meals. There’s the traditional English-style Sunken Garden with a reflecting pool, a shady birch walk, and a 10,000-square-foot conservatory ($6 admission). Don’t miss the gorgeous, gilded Royal Thai pavilion, a gift from the Thai government and the only such feature in the United States.

Kayaking—and log-rolling

There are five lakes in Madison—part of the Chain of Lakes connected by the Yahara River—and come summer, you shouldn’t miss an opportunity to engage with at least one of them. Lake Mendota and Lake Monona are the largest (the city is built on the isthmus between them), and you could easily spend a summer weekend kayaking and lolling about on the beaches. Rent a kayak through Madison Boats , which has three locations on the lakes. For a quintessential Wisconsin experience, get in touch with your inner lumberjack at a log-rolling class on Lake Winga.

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Tours We Love

Looking for food tours around the US or abroad? Here are some we know and love!

Manhattan Walking Tour (New York, NY)

It’s like having a friend in NYC! Manhattan Walking Tour has been leading small group food, historical, and alcohol-based tours in New York City since 2010. What sets us apart is our small group size of 8 guests maximum on public tours. This ensures a much more personal and intimate experience. Our guides will help you discover hidden streets, anecdotal stories, and delicious restaurants you would have passed by without noticing! Our “combo” tour discounts allow you to mix and match neighborhoods to create the perfect NYC experience!

St. Augustine Experiences (St. Augustine, FL)

Come discover the nation’s oldest city! Our small group size of 8 maximum ensures an extremely personal experience. We will visit notable landmarks, local chocolatiers, candy makers & baked good purveyors, unique St. Augustine breweries, and state-of-the-art taprooms, all while learning about the incredible story of St. Augustine. On the Ale Trail, hear tales of coastal Florida’s brewing past and visions of its promising future while sampling an abundance of delicious beer along the way. See why we call it the Not Just a Chocolate Tour while you discover all the sweet treats St. Augustine has to offer! Whether you’re on a St. Augustine day trip, or have lived here your whole life, these St. Augustine walking tours are perfect for you.

Madison Eats Food Tours (Madison, WI)

Madison Eats Food Tours is Madison, WI’s premier food tour company, focused on supporting local chefs, producers and food artisans. Madison Eats gives you a taste of Madison, WI’s incredible food scene through walking and biking restaurant tours and culinary events. They partner exclusively with locally owned businesses, ensuring that your ticket purchase helps our city thrive! Madison Eats is locally owned and operated, with award-winning local food writer Otehlia Cassidy at the helm.

Savor Seattle (Seattle, WA)

This is Seattle’s go-to food tour company! Their guides are experts at connecting adventuresome guests with Seattle in the most unique, flavorful, and unexpected way. Easily the best way to explore Pike Place Market, Seattle’s #1 visitor attraction. More than the city’s beloved public market, Pike Place Market is a vibrant neighborhood comprised of hundreds of farmers, craftspeople, small businesses and residents. Follow the pink umbrella to your next culinary adventure!

Taste of Troy Food Tours (Troy & Albany, New York)

Taste of Troy Food Tours believes the best way to experience a city is through food which tells the story of an area’s people, history and culture. Taste of Troy Food Tours is excited to put Troy and the Capital District on the culinary tourism map by combining sightseeing and a meal in one delicious experience.

Austin Eats Food Tours (Austin, TX)

Our food tours highlight the best dining Austin has to offer. When you come on one of our tours, we want you to feel like you’re our welcomed guest, whether you’re a lifelong Austinite or a first-time visitor. Since 2011, we’ve been doing just that. We design all of our tours to highlight the best dining Austin has to offer, from off-the-beaten path hidden gems to the city’s most sought-after reservations.

Taste Carolina Food Tours (Various Cities Across North Carolina)

Experience North Carolina’s best restaurants and food shops in the most unique way. Go behind the scenes to chat with chefs and artisans, and enjoy their delicious food. We’re located in Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill/ Carrboro, Hillsborough, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Wilmington, Charlotte, and Asheville. Join us for the tastiest tours in North Carolina!

Key West Food Tours (Key West, FL)

Our guided small-group experiences are designed to introduce you to authentic Key West flavors, from cocktails to southern comfort dishes. Enjoy the island’s Cuban and Caribbean influences that have made this coastal town a hotspot for fantastic cuisine and cocktails. Be sure to try out our three signature Key West walking tours or our custom tour for your group’s special occasion. Book now to experience Key West food at its finest!

International

Italian days food tours (bologna, it).

Bologna Food and Wine Tour really is number one. This is an all day tour – pick up and drop off from your hotel or airbnb in Bologna to explore the beautiful countryside of Emiglia Romagna. One of the best tours I’ve done around the world (according to Alessia, owner of BTP). It includes a visit to a Parmigiano Reggiano factory, a Balsamic Vinegar factory, a Prosciutto di Modena factory & family style Italian lunch! With lots and lots of wine. A must-do, life-changing, FUNtastic experience!

Oaxaca Eats Food Tours (Oaxaca, MX)

Start your exploration of Oaxaca with a fun-filled afternoon of food, culture, history and discover what Oaxaca Eats in 4 Hours! Taste 20+ traditional Oaxacan food and drinks on a laid-back walking tour that features four sit-down restaurants. An easy way to make new friends since group size are always small, rarely ever more than 10 people. Meet the people behind the food and even get the chance to participate.

Local Montreal Food Tours & Montreal Craft Beer Tours (Montreal, CA)

Local Montreal Food Tours & Montreal Craft Beer Tours offers exciting tours that explore the coolest neighbourhoods and unique brewpubs in Montreal. On the food tours they invite you to experience each neighbourhood through a series of delicious food tastings of only the best of Montreal’s classic food institutions as well as the new, hip eateries. Get to know the history behind the food, the landmarks, the architecture, and the art with your local guide who relays the fascinating historical and cultural stories of the city. The beer tours take you off the beaten path, showing you the authenticity of the city and, of course, talking you through the how-to’s of beer tasting and food pairings. Their mission is to provide you not only with an experience of Montreal’s local products and artisans, but also with a taste of Montreal herself. We want to encourage people to step out of their comfort zone, and truly come into contact with what the city has to offer.

Visit Montreal Craft Beer Tours

Liquid History (London, UK)

With over 3000 pubs in London, they handpick the best of the bunch for a leisurely stroll through the heart of London’s liquid history. Believing small really is beautiful we maximize our group sizes to just 14 clients, helping you to explore the road less travelled and share some of London’s quirkier history along the way. Whether you are a first time visitor to the city or lived here all your life, their local guides will open your eyes & ears to another side of London whilst sharing a drink or two with you along the way.

Delicious Poland (Krakow, PL)

Delicious Poland offers personal and memorable culinary experiences in Krakow, Gdansk, Wroclaw and Warsaw. Their mission is to show you our cities through local eyes. Created by Kamila and Göksel, an international couple with a passion for good food, drink, and company….their goal is to use their deep knowledge and love for local specialties to give you the experience of Polish food and drinks that all travelers deserve. This is an experience that goes beyond the physical experience of taste and smell. At its heart, food culture is about being welcomed into someone else’s world. Delicious Poland is the tour company they founded to help visitors get an insider’s perspective on the local food and drinks they love so much. Join them and experience a culinary and cultural side of Poland that you will not get anywhere else!

Budapest Locals (Budapest, HU)

We’re a couple of local girls with local sentiments and a love for our city, so we decided to do bespoke tours of Budapest that we adore and the culture that we come from. We will share with you some of the hidden corners, local hotspots, and unusual sights that makes daily life in Budapest not only tolerable but phenomenal. And we would like to ask you to keep your wallet in your pocket during the tours since included in the price we provide all the maps, metro tickets, food, drinks and entry fees. And to top it all off, it just so happens that we’re a couple of amateur foodies (one of us works part-time for a cooking school), so we would like to treat everybody on our tours with snacks and samples, freshly brewed coffee, or a nice dessert, so you don’t go hungry while we turn you into a local, too. The only drawback to our tours is that afterwards you might never want to leave.

Kangarrific Tours (Sydney, AU)

The most diverse Hunter Valley tour leaving from Sydney. You will begin the day at a wildlife sanctuary where your private ranger will host a meet and greet with a koala followed by morning tea with kangaroos. It’s then off to the Hunter Valley for a food and wine adventure, visiting two premium boutique vineyards, a chocolate factory, a private cheese tasting and finishing at a craft brewery for beer enthusiasts. It’s a lovely day out rain, hail or shine.